DRINKWINE: The ups and downs of hunting season

By Terry Drinkwine, For Digital First Media

Saturday, November 2, 2013

Kent Geistler takes hunting seriously. For months he and hunting buddy, Mike Pearce, have been scouting private land they have access to in northern Oakland County in preparation for the archery deer season. And several times a doe came into view with two fawns in tow. Now that alone isn’t out of the ordinary, but the fact that the doe had antlers made it interesting.

So they watched and waited for the season to come around and plans were made to take a deer to put meat in the larder. The doe with spikes kept appearing and the two debated whether or not to take the doe and remove it from the gene pool.

Earlier this week, Kent had a shot at the spiked doe, took it and that’s when it got weirder. From his blind, Kent let loose an arrow that hit the deer along the shoulder and gave off a huge flash as the arrow penetrated.

“It was weird and I can’t explain why it happened,” he said. “But there was a big flash and the doe went down. When I examining the spikes, I found they were covered in velvet.”

The deer is in the freezer now and I’m sure the story will be told and re-told at every meal the doe provides.

Does with antlers aren’t that unusual and several get taken every year. But there is some fluke in the gene pool that allows that to happen. Whether or not it’s hereditary, I don’t know, but to my way of thinking, Kent did the right thing by taking that doe.

The weather has certainly been uncooperative the past week for any kind of hunting. But as the “old timers” say, “adversity builds character.” So the hardy braved the rain and rain mixed with snow and put themselves to the test; some being rewarded for their persistence, others getting schooled by Mother Nature.

Whichever, it’s all good.In two weeks grouse season will close (November 15 – 30) and re-open on December 1st. The reason is obvious; walking in front of guys hiding in blinds with high powered rifles, waiting for something to come into view, isn’t a good way to spend a day…for either hunter.

Seamus is going to have to take a hiatus and get used to my getting dressed in my field cloths and leave without him. He’ll protest in a loud way, but he’ll be in the cabin as the Jeep pulls out heading for the spot Seamus showed me while hunting Bonasa umbellus and Philohela minor.

Others will make their way to rivers in search of steelhead now that salmon are waning, their lives ending in Nature’s scheme to perpetuate itself - bodies black and rotted, floating along the current or caught in an eddy that will nourish other occupants from bears to lesser species. But their seed lives on because of their sacrifice and next year others will follow, giving anglers another season of 30 plus pound fish to catch.

There are a lot of sportsmen that practice “catch & release” when fishing. (I won’t debate the wisdom or lack thereof.) Suffice it to say, there is no “catch & release” when hunting; you either kill what you’re shooting at or you don’t. There is no do-over; no Mulligan. Unfortunately, there are those who don’t want the meat they harvest. Fortunately, there is a way of engaging in the hunt and put the harvest to good use. Michigan Sportsmen Against Hunger is an organization supported by the DNR, Safari Clubs International, local sportsmen, meat processors and Food Banks to process any large animal and distribute it to those in need.

The process is simple, just call a processor on the list the MSAH website and they will process the meat at no cost to the hunter and give it to a local food bank. For more information check out: www.sportsmenagainsthunger.org or get the link by googling Michigan Department of Natural Resources and search their website. Either way you’ll find a link to participating game processors, county by county. If you can’t use or don’t want the meat, don’t waste it, share it with those who can use it.

On another note: This past week a US Geological Survey and a report from Bowling Green University that Asian carp are reproducing in Lake Erie. Grass carp is the species and not thought to be as destructive as bighead and the silver species we’ve all been hoping would not cross from the Mississippi Watershed into the Great Lakes.

Actually, the report said Asian carp were found that were “capable” of reproducing. What the difference is, is lost on me. Stay tuned.